Tag: blessings

He Prospered

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

‘The Lord was with Joseph so he prospered’.

Just like Joseph, God is with us and, at every opportunity, he blesses us and prospers us.Jan 18 2014

Sometimes it feels to me like I did all of the work so I prospered myself.  But then I’ve also had times when I’ve worked really hard and I didn’t receive any obvious ‘prospering’ from it. 

So it makes sense to me that it’s not the work itself that is prospering me – it’s the favor of the Lord – his will.

I’ve had several very clear instances recently where God clearly prospered me – just because he wanted to, not because of anything extra special that I did.  If you have been on this journey with me very long, you may remember a year or so ago when I felt that God was telling me he wanted me to go to the Holy Land.  It was very clear to me that he wanted me to go – he wants to forever change how I read and study his Word through this trip.

But I didn’t have the money for it so I asked him how I was going to pay for it.  And every time he reminded me that I was supposed to go, I reminded him – show me the money :). 

A couple of months later I won an award at work that I didn’t even know I had been nominated for.  It came with a check that was the amount of the trip (plus a tithe, of course).

Nice!  The trip has been rescheduled a couple of times and now I am less than 60 days away from going to Israel to experience all that God has planned for me!

I feel like a very rich woman when I think of my little grand-daughter  who is on her way – she’ll be here at the end of March.  I’ve wanted a grand-daughter for a very long time and I feel very prosperous in ways that don’t involve money as I think of all of the ‘girl’ fun we will have in the coming years.  She is definitely a very precious gift straight from the heart of God.

God prospered me again several weeks ago when I found out my position at work had been upgraded.  Out of the blue.  I’m doing the same thing I always do – giving it 100% and adding value.  It’s all God – he decides when the awards and promotions come.

And we prosper according to His will.

Thank you, dear God!

 

It’s Hard to Find

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Innocence.

Adam and Eve lived in a time of innocence.  There was no shame in their world, no immorality, no darkness.

They were naked and they walked with God every day – innocent.Jan 1 2014

No sexual undertones, no bawdy jokes stepping on the line of inappropriateness, no snickers and side-ways glances.

Sometimes, when I look around at our culture, it really feels like the innocence is gone.  I happened to catch about 3 seconds of the Star Trek crew watching Miley Cyrus’ video on somebody’s post on Facebook.  I bet I don’t even have to say which one – if you have seen it, you know what I’m talking about.

Apalled.  That was my reaction.  Our culture has hit a new low.

It reminds me of how I visualized the Baal worship in the Old Testament when they had temple prostitutes.  After the Baal worshippers became desensitized to all of this sexual activity, they started sacrificing their babies to their gods.  What’s next for our culture? 

The continuing saga of Sodom and Gomorrah.

How marvelous it is to turn away from all of that and dive back into our Father’s word to us.

His truth.

Where his light shines through the darkness and his grace covers the rotting smells of our culture’s immorality.

Jesus has already triumphed over evil.  It just doesn’t always look like it here on earth.

Thank you, dear Father, for helping us stay focused on you through your word.

Hello, 2014!

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Do you feel it?

Do you see it?

The sun rose again this morning – bringing us light,

bringing us warmth.

Reminding us that our faithful Father has once again given us another day.

A day to talk with him.

A day to love him.

A day to serve him.

Another beginning.

What new things is he planning for us this year?

What turns and curves is our journey going to take?

We know that God is going to help us know him better.  He promised that we will find him when we seek him.

Dear Father, We are excited to begin another year of our relationship with you.  We look forward to this year with high expectations.  We know you have so much more to teach us!  You also have so much more love to lavish upon us….and we’re ready!  We begin again with a renewed committment in our journey towards the Truth – towards you..  We will face the challenges of this year with confidence because you will be right beside us.  We thank you in advance for the wonderful things you have planned for us.  In the awesome name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Note: I have some posts left from the end of our reading in 2013 which I’m going to post on my blog throughout today but not on Facebook.   If you usually check these out on facebook, you can catch them on my blog if you’d like.

More to know

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

We could study God’s word all day everyday and there would still be more to know about Christ. 

After our purpose on earth is ended, we’re going home (YIPEEE!) to heaven where we will live with Christ into eternity.  I’m confident that we will continue to grow in our knowledge and experience of Christ in heaven – forever – and we will never know it all.   There will still be mysteries.

Wow!dec 15b 2013

I’m comforted by the fact that I don’t understand it all here on earth.  I only have a 3 1/2 lb. brain – if I could understand everything about God, he wouldn’t be much of a god.  I like that fact that I can’t fully comprehend

* his omnipresence

* his holiness

* his righteousness

* his omnipotence.

I’m trying very hard to understand his grace so that I can live it every day.

We struggle to try to understand the Trinity – how complicated!

And I can visualize God smiling on us as we confuse ourselves by trying to fit his ‘Otherness’ into our human box.  He knows he’s only told us Trinity 101 – it’s actually much more intricate and supernatural – we’ll never understand it.  Ours 3 1/2 lb. brains just aren’t going to handle it.

So, this is where faith comes in.  We believe it because we trust in God.  We know God is perfect.  We know he wants the best for us.  He proved this by sending his best – Jesus- to die for us AND to show us how to live.

So we believe.  And we walk by faith, not by sight.

Yes – we gradually unravel some of the mysteries of Christ.  And there are so many more to go!

This brings me to share my decision to continue this journey with you through God’s word in 2014.  I have learned so much these last 2 years by blogging through the Bible – I don’t feel like I can stop!

The Joy!

The Comfort!

The Truth!

The Value of taking the journey.

I have also really enjoyed the ‘story’ feeling of the Chronological Bible so I’m going back to the beginning with this one.

I hope you will continue on the journey with me!

God has a lot more to say to us in 2014 and I’m REALLY looking forward to it!

Put On Love

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

Dec 14b 2013As God’s chosen people,

Put on compassion,

Put on kindness,

Put on humility,

Put on gentleness,

Put on patience,

Put on forgiveness – how much has God forgiven us?

And over all of these virtues, put on love which makes it all work in perfect harmony.

How do we do this?

* By letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts everyday.

* By talking about God and sharing with each other what we have learned and experienced.

In your name and for your glory, dear Jesus.

The Eyes of My Heart

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

Enlighten the eyes of our hearts, dear Father, so we may really know and experience the hope you have called us to.

Please help us understand the riches of the glorious inheritance we have received as your holy people.Dec 15 2013

We want to experience more of your incomparably great power in our lives.  We know we were spiritually dead in our sins, following the ways of this world and helping Satan with his plans and schemes by living in disobedience.

But we now know your great love for us.  Your great mercy, dear God!  You have made us alive in Christ, showing awesome grace and kindness to us.

We now know and believe that we are your precious children, redeemed by Christ and called to fulfill your purpose for us here on hearth before we come home to live with you in heaven.

Amen, Hallelujah!

It’s Growing!

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

The gospel is growing in us and through us as we continue on our journey towards the truth.  As we understand more and more about God’s grace, the gospel is able to bear fruit in our lives.Dec 14 2013

Paul wrote to the Colossians over 2 thousand years ago to encourage them in their journey.  God speaks to us today through these same words as he encourages us on our journey.

Dear Father, we praise your name.  We are so grateful for your grace.  We are so grateful that – yes – we have heard the truth of the gospel and our understanding of it is growing daily as your spirit works in our lives.

Please help us grow the gospel in the world around us so that your hope can set other prisoners free.

We love you!  In the redeeming name of your son, Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

The New is Here!

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

When we put our faith in Christ, we are transformed into new people.  And the message God entrusts with us to pass on to others is that everyone needs to be reconciled to God. 

God has already reconciled us to himself by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  Now all we have to do is accept God’s gift of grace to complete the process.dec 4 2013

We don’t have to ‘do good things’.

We don’t have to give up all of the fun things in our lives.

We don’t have to try to be ‘good enough’.

After we accept God’s grace and are restored into a relationship with him, we become his ambassadors.  God makes his appeal to the world through us as we grow in our relationship with him.

The old is gone!  The new is here!

Thank you, dear God.

Is it Worth It?

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

How much of our time do we spend working?  Watching TV?  Playing games on our various devices?  On our hobbies?

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that, when the day of Judgement comes, whatever we have accomplished will be tested by fire.  The fire will reveal the quality of each person’s life.Nov 30 2013

Things that were done in Christ’s name and for the glory of God will survive. 

All of the other things we have done will be burned up because they have no eternal value.

If a person has accepted salvation through Jesus Christ, they will be saved even though everything they’ve done in life will be burned up.  They will be like ‘one escaping through the flames’.  They will have nothing to show for their time on earth because they will have wasted their lives on things that just weren’t worth it.

So – all of the things we spend our time on……

Are they worth anything?

Just Ordinary People…..

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

who have been with Jesus.Nov 21 2013

Peter and John are witnessing to the Sanhedrin – the chief priests –  about who Jesus really was in Acts 4.

And the Sanhedrin were astonished by what Peter and John said to them.  Peter and John were just ordinary men but it was obvious to the chief priests that they had ‘been with Jesus.’

There are powerful words!  They point directly to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter and John had been with Jesus and now they were forever changed because the Holy Spirit was living inside of them.

And the Sanhedrin could tell.

Dear Father,  It is our prayer today that people around us can tell by  what we say and how we act that we have ‘been with Jesus”.

We want our lives to be an obvious testament of the redeeming power of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Please let the words that come out of our mouth be courageous and pleasing to you, Dear God.

Help us to shine out of this dark world by letting your love flow through us to others.  We desire to overcome evil with good and we can only do that with your help.

We have the Holy Spirit living in us so we are no longer ordinary.  We are your extraordinary children who are overwhelmed by the blessings you have lavished upon us as we continue on in our journey towards the truth – towards you.

We pray all of this in the awesome name of Jesus who has saved us.  Amen.  Hallelujah!